Youth Hears Emotional Stories From Families of Murder Victims

LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Families who've lost loved ones to homicides spoke out against those crimes Saturday in Little Rock.

As victims of the tragedies, they're using their experiences to steer future generations away from a life of crime.

It was a very emotional service at the Pilgrim Valley Baptist Church, family members of victims telling first hand how murder has impacted their lives.

"I stand here today on behalf of my twin sister." said Natalie Hubbard. Tears ran down her face as she talked about the night she learned her sister had been killed.

"I received a call from my mom in Texas," Hubbard recounted of May 6th of last year when the bodies of Nastsha Avery and her boyfriend were found in a home on 33rd street in Little Rock. They'd been shot.

"She had just recently graduated from Pulaski Technological College," Hubbard said of her sister.

Hubbard was just one in a procession of victim family members telling stories of heartbreak in front of the packed church.

The event was organized by Willie Davis

"I'm a police officer, but I'm a dad," he said.

He's Little Rock Police sergeant who wants to "appeal to the African American community to end this tumultuous relationship we have with guns and violence."

Watching Saturday were members of Davis' O.K. mentoring program for Little Rock youth which aims to "encourage good citizenship, making good grades and graduating from high school."

Davis hopes speakers the kids heard Saturday will have a lasting impact on their lives.

For those still living the tragedy of losing a loved one, they hope the program will prevent another person from feeling their pain.

"I think it will deliver positive influence back into the community," Hubbard said. "I think it will bring the youth up in a more positive manner."

The O.K. program started in Oakland and seeks 100,000 youth mentors across the county.

It's received such a positive response here in Little Rock, there are now talks of expanding to cities like Pine Bluff.

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